Animals Gone Viral: Snuggles at Sea

YouTuber J. R. Gilkinson’s 2013 encounter with an adorable baby sea lion is making new waves as it was recently rediscovered and re-shared by TheDodo.com January 11. The original clip has over 9 million views and has been steadily growing over the past couple of weeks.

The video shows a spunky sea lion swimming alongside Gilkinson’s boat, two miles off of Newport Beach, California, then climbing aboard and making himself at home, which included a cuddle with Gilkinson himself.

While undeniably adorable, the video has raised a few questions from concerned viewers, wondering why the pup was on his own and what happened to him when his visit came to an end. Gilkinson assured folks via YouTube comment which read, “After his nap for over an hour, I had to encourage him to get back in the water, but I dropped him off at the buoy area where there are a lot of sea lions that hang out. One popped up in the same area that he jumped in.” Good to know the little guy wasn’t left alone!